US preparing team to help Nigeria locate
kidnapped girls
The White House said Tuesday the U.S. is
preparing to send a team to Nigeria to help the
government search for nearly 300 schoolgirls
abducted more than three weeks ago by Islamic
militants.
The team would likely include military personnel,
law enforcement personnel and others with
experience in intelligence, investigations, hostage
negotiation and victims' assistance, White House
spokesman Jay Carney told reporters.
"Time is of the essence," he said, stressing that
the kidnappings happened 22 days ago.
"Appropriate action must be taken to locate and
to free these young women before they are
trafficked or killed."
Carney said that Secretary of State John Kerry
spoke earlier Tuesday with Nigerian President
Goodluck Jonathan, who "welcomed" the
secretary's offer to send a team to discuss
assistance.
It's unclear whether the team of military and law
enforcement personnel has yet gotten the green
light.
Carney urged the Nigerian government to ensure
that it is using all available resources to ensure
the safe return of the girls.
President Obama and Kerry are scheduled to
discuss the issue at a White House meeting
Tuesday afternoon.
State Department spokeswoman Jen Psaki said
Kerry and Jonathan discussed the "interdisciplin
ary team" on their phone call on Tuesday.
"It would include U.S. military personnel, law
enforcement officials with expertise in
investigations and hostage negotiations as well
as officials with expertise in other areas that may
be helpful to the Nigerian government in its
response," she said.
The development comes as Boko Haram, the
group of militants responsible for last month's
mass kidnapping, seized eight more girls on
Monday.g
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